The Truth

Chapter 18

I stumbled over the vines as they latched around my feet, causing me to have to yank them free, breaking the thin green plant. My heart was racing as my legs begged for rest, but I refused to lose sight of the reindeer as it ran deeper into the rainforest, the vegetation slowly becoming less and less as I continued running further into the forest.

Then the reindeer seemed to disappear, I slowed down to a walk before looking around in confusion. "What?" I mumbled out, as I continued to look around before my eyes stopped on what looked like a door with the symbol of a vine surrounding a paw print. I walked up to the door, I raised my closed fist, about to knock but the door opened before I could. However, there was no one on the other side, curiosity sparked in my gaze as excitement filled my gut. "Ghost?" I questioned, walking through the doorway, before the door closed behind me, the room going dark.

Then torches hanging from the walls lit up, blue flames dancing along the ends, making a path down a tunnel. I followed the torches path hesitantly, looking around at the cavern walls seeing ancient paintings, each one telling a story of their own whether it be a battle or of peace. I looked around in awe till the tunnel split off into a small cavern, an orange glow emitting out of the room. I looked inside to see an old woman sitting in the middle of the room, a staff resting in front of her. I walked into the room, looking around to find familiar beings, Gaia and Anu

"You're late." The old lady spoke, humor in her tone.

"I'm sorry? Late for what?" I questioned, looking at the old lady in confusion.

"For your test." She responded as she stood up, picking up her staff as she did so, using it as a crutch as she turned around to look at me.  "Now no more questions!" She spoke, placing a finger over my lips as I was about to question her further. "Follow me your majesty." She stated as she walked past me, going into the corridor.

I let out a sigh, shaking my head slightly as I followed behind the old woman. I remained silent as I looked around the cave walls, the sound of footsteps being the only thing I could hear as we moved deeper into the caverns. The torches flickering as a breeze whisked down the cavern sending chills down my spine. The old woman then stopped before an entrance, sunlight flooding into the open cavern. I looked around in awe as vines and moss came from the opened hole on the middle of the ceiling of the cavern. A small stream trickled across the middle of the floor, birds flying down, taking a bath in the stream. A range of flowers and plants grew around the cavern floor in the crevices of the rock.

"Your first test will be choosing something from this room." The old woman stated with a small nod, looking up at me expectantly.

I looked at her with a blank expression, wondering if she was being serious. Since when did anyone say anything about being tested? When nothing was said I let out a sigh, before I began walking around, looking along the ground as I merely walked around. I then noticed something out of the corner of my eye, looking over I see what looks like human bones. "What is this place?" I question as I look at the skeleton, crouching down to see a rusted sword going right in between the ribs.

"This cavern is a fine example of the world we live in. Life and death, good and evil." The old woman spoke as a butterfly flew past her face, landing on a spider web, the spider going over towards the butterfly, making it its meal. "However, these aren't always as clear as we think they are. Oftentimes, these things would be grey, as for it depends on the point of view of the person and who's telling the story." She added, her eyes trained on the butterfly and the spider.

"So I can choose anything in this room?" I questioned, my eyes trained on the sword in front of me.

"That is correct." The old woman answered with a nod.